


RANDOM! Challenge 2015

by Kerorin



Category: Original Work
Genre: Challenges
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 20:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3262988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerorin/pseuds/Kerorin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Writing challenge 2015 - 1000 words a month!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. January

**Author's Note:**

> Writing challenge 2015 for MayuRain and Me. 
> 
> The rules!  
> 1\. 1000 words a month. If quota is not reached by the last day of the month, then post everything you have.  
> 2\. Setting and theme is randomly generated and has been set as: setting - sword and sorcery, theme character study, urban legend story  
> 3\. Deadline is last minute of last day of each month.

“Why can't I be normal?” Claire hugged her legs closer to her body and sighed. The metal frame of the bed creaked under her as she shifted. All the beds in the school creaked with just the smallest moves their users would make and sometimes they creaked even with no one on them. It sometimes scared the small children and they would whisper about ghosts or poltergeists roaming the old school. The nurses would laugh and simply tell them that the old metal frames creaked because that is what old metal beds do. “Phoebe, are you awake?” The other bed in the room creaked as Phoebe turned around and mumbled a few words and went back to sleep again. The two girls had shared a room for a few years now and while Claire would lie awake at night, Phoebe never had trouble falling asleep right away. Claire stared into the room they shared, trying to make out the pieces of furniture in the dark: two desks with chairs and two closets. The dormitory at the school only provided the bare essentials and nobody really needed anything else. Common rooms provided a comfortable location for socializing and other leisure related activities. Dormitory rooms were only meant for rest and solitary homework. Claire rolled over and stared at the white ceiling while slowly twirling her blond hair around the index finger of her right hand. She thought about her family, her parents and her little sister. Her mother had smiled, smoothed her blond hair and answered her: “Remember Claire, nobody is normal, we are all special.” She was smiling as Claire was escorted into the carriage by the two nurses who had come to take her away on that day years ago. Claire had come to understand the words her mother had said to her, but still she wished she was normal. If she was normal she would still be home... 

“Good morning Lady Phoebe, Lady Claire. It is time to get up.” Light floods the dormitory room as the nurse pulls the curtains aside. Claire blinked a few times before she sat up and got out of bed. As usual Phoebe was refusing to let the last few minutes of sleep be taken away from her and the blond girl had only tucked her blanket closer protectively.  
“Good morning, Myra.” Claire looked at the brown haired woman dressed in a simple white cowl. Myra had taken care of Claire from the day she arrived years ago. She was just a child back then and Myra had held her through those first nights while Claire adjusted to her new home. Claire lifted her arms to let Myra remove the long white sleeping gown and waited patiently while Myra dressed her in the green dress that all the girls wore at school. The just over knee-length dress was made from a dark green velvet with sleeves just past the elbow and an elegant round neckline. The full skirt added a touch of girlishness to the uniform and younger girls were often seen doing pirouettes in the playground. Claire smiled as she remembered how she also did her fair share of spinning just to see her skirt fly up and spread around her. She sighed as she remembered the year her dress got just too long to pull off the real horizontal look no matter how hard she tried to spin. “Thank you, Myra.” Claire grabbed her hairbrush and quickly brushed and tied up her hair in a half ponytail. She sat down on the bed and watched as Myra tried to get a not so cooperative, still sleepy, Phoebe in the same manner she was just dressed herself. Myra seemed to have unlimited patience with the girls she took care of, in fact all the nurses were patient and loving always.  
“May I remind my Ladies that today you will be required to attend the Passing at noon?” Myra stopped at the door and took one last look at the girls. Both were now fully dressed and Claire was just finishing tying up Phoebe's hair in a simple braid. “For that purpose the afternoon classes will be suspended.” Phoebe laughed as they made their way to the door.  
“Of course I remembered the Passing! I have been looking forward to it for weeks! Our first time, it is going to be so special!” Phoebe grabbed Claire's hand enthusiastically and they followed Myra out the door.”And we will not have that boring history class, double win!” Claire giggled at Phoebe's last comment. She herself did not mind the history class at all, but Phoebe always had trouble staying awake during the long lecture on the history of the world.  
“If you would stay awake for once and listen to the scholar, you might find it more interesting. I like history class.” Phoebe squeezed Claire's hand and smiled mischievously.  
“The only reason you like history is because you have a crush on the scholar.” Claire stared at her friend with a blank look for a few seconds as they strolled down the hallway towards the dining hall.  
“No, Phoebe-no-brains, I liked history before this new scholar started, remember the old scholar? He looked like a necromancer's pet and smelled like one too, but I always enjoyed his classes as well.”  
“I knew you had something for old men!” Claire shook her head in disbelieve as they entered the dining hall and took their place at their classes' table. Greeting were exchanged between the girls who had already found their way to the dining hall and generic girl chatter ensued. Inevitably the topic changed to the Passing that would take place this afternoon. “Any idea about what is going to happen this afternoon?” The conversation came to an abrupt halt as none of the girls could answer that question asked by Phoebe.  
“The ritual of Passing is held each year on the last day of the tenth month. It is the day that the eldest students of our school graduate and move on to the next stage of their lives. An ending to the ten years they have spend here and the beginning of a new stage of their lives.”


	2. Chapter 2

All the girls looked up at the tall young woman standing at the head of their dining room table. Her skirt's hem touched the floor, indicating her seniority over the younger girls seated at the table, but none of the girls needed to look for this small detail to confirm that fact. The young woman carried herself with grace and the words flowing from her lips carried confidence and a sense of serenity. She was but two years their senior, but as Claire had observed in earlier years, the last two years at the school tended to transform the giggling girls into fine young women. The young woman smiled as she bowed her head tot he silenced table and strolled over to her own class' one.   
“She is one of those that graduate today. I think her name is Aura, she is supposed to be top of her class and quite a celebrity in her year.” Phoebe whispered to Claire. “She is not much of a help though. What she just said does not make much difference to our understanding, but I suppose we will find out soon enough.” The hall quieted down as soon as breakfast was served. Here and there hushed conversations were still taking place, but in general the hall was quiet. While it was not forbidden to speak during mealtimes, all the girls seemed to have the same decency to keep chatter to a minimum whenever food was served. The only exception being the afternoon tea, where the girls were encouraged to mingle and socialize. Claire poked at her food and took small bites of the scrambled eggs and beans in tomato sauce that was on today's breakfast menu. She could not help but wonder where she would go or where she would be send to after graduation. The words Aura had spoken floated in her mind. What did she mean with “a new stage of their lives”?


End file.
